Product Details

• Actors: Sidney Poitier, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Phylicia Rashad, Robert Hooks, Khalil Kain
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Showtime Ent.
• VHS Release Date: July 18, 2000
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004TJJR
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,617 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In this tale of intersecting lives in New York City, Sidney Poitier plays a powerful Manhattan business executive whose roots were in a Brooklyn ghetto, and Poitier's daughter, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, plays a teenager living in a South Brooklyn housing project who wants to break free from her desperate circumstances. The lives of the characters happen to collide when a robbery attempt at Nicole Turner's place of work, a fast-food franchise, turns bloody, and Will Clemmons, who has helped the old neighborhood with investments, returns to deliver an inspirational eulogy. Realizing what life has to offer, Nicole tracks down Clemmons, and after overcoming his considerable reluctance, becomes his student. That plot admittedly seems like standard fare, something of a Pygmalion in "the hood," but the performances, especially that of the elder Poitier, elevate the film. He burns the screen with passion and is charmingly good-humored as he endeavors to turn Nicole into, as he puts it, "a thinking individual." Some plot developments, thanks to both Nicole's impulsive personality and her role as the witness to the shootings at her former job, provide bumps in the road, but this is mostly a tale of uplifting oneself from dire circumstances, and the acting overcomes any predictability in the story. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look beyond your horizon, December 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Free of Eden [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have just finished watching this film for the second time and I'm still inspired. Mr. Poitier gives a phenominal performance as does his daughter. I'm buying a copy for my 15 year old niece, I think every teenager should see this so that they know that there is more out there in the world than what they are currently living today. The importance of education is something far too many people are taking for granted. Use your inner self and reach for the stars!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Film...Very Inspirational !!!, November 29, 2006

By 

M. WILLIAMS (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free of Eden [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie first caught my eye in a video rental store. And after watching it, I was overwhelmed, especially with Sidney Poitier being the sensational actor that He is. Of course I had to add this one to collection. The story is very heartfelt and inspiring. Not only does it is express the importance of a quality education and the opportunity it presents, but also the importance of being a mentor. This is an exceptional movie about overcoming seemingly impossible situations,forgiveness, and moving forward in life. Hopefully this film will be released on DVD soon. I also recommend another great film starring Mr Poitier: The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn. It's a must-see!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Many Edens, April 27, 2010

By 

F. J. Urkums "teacher for real" (Fort Washington, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Free of Eden [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Love this movie. Sidney is his professorial self. His daughter does a pretty good job playing a
girl from the projects who wants to free herself and have a better life. There are so many Edens
all over this country that it is good to see a movie that shows a child "escaping" from her
surroundings. You don't see much of this. We get to see the drive by shootings and the victims
of "snitching" (which in our day we called showing integrity and protecting people),and the baby daddies
and mamas. We know there are better things going on, but in the media what bleeds leads.